Combination inflow control and fluid discharge means



Dec. 22, 1936. M. s. YOUNG 2,064,957

COMBINATION INFLOW CONTROL AND FLUID DISCHARGE MEANS Filed sept. 2s, 1932 2 sheets-sheet 1 PQ` 2 E? O HUH-IMM M. S. YOUNG Dec. 22, 1936.

2,064,967 COMBINATION INFLOw CONTROL AND FLUID DISCHARGE MEANS y Filed Sept. 23, 1932 2 SheelS-Sheerl 2 INVENTOR Patented Dec. 22, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLIBINATION INFLOW CONTROL AND FLUID DISCHARGE MEANS Application September 23, 1932, Serial No. 634,498 In Canada September 23, 1931 11 Claims.

This invention relates to the control of liquids and more particularly relates to the system for controlling the inflow of liquids into conduits or other receptacles whereby a continuous protection and prevention of substitution can be had from the initial manufacturing source to the nal consumer.

A system of controlling the dispensing of liquids, particularly gasoline and oil, has been found desirable because of the persistent substitution of inferior products of one manufacturer for those of another for which premiums were oftentime paid without an assurance of receiving the desired product. Other substitution of inferior grades of lubricating oil, for example, of crank case drainings for first grade new oil, has taken place in many places and in my invention I have contemplated the protection of the lubricating oil or gasoline or other liquid o products from the original source on down to the final retail dispensing unit. For the most part the inflow control means for the underground storage tank or tank wagon differs only in size from the inflow control means for the final retail drum, although in some cases it may be found desirable to substitute slightly different forms of valves for more viscous fluids such as oils for the control valve for gasoline and other less viscous liquids.

In connection with the protection of the dispensing system it is to be understood that practical features of rapid iilling are essential and dispensing stations are periodically inspected by representatives of the producing companies. Therefore, it is only necessary to protect the container against rapid filling and prevent the ready opening of the valve as any iiagrant violation will be instantly observable.

It is also to be understood that it is common to have particular routes for drivers so that each driver will ll a certain group of tanks, which routes are usually keyed or given a code number. With my invention it is possible to supply a standard key which may be changed to fit the infiow control on any particular route and without the code number the inadvertent possession cf a key nozzle by an unscrupulous person would be of no avail as the key nozzle could not be changed to t the particular inow control on the route without knowing its code relation.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a variable key nozzle for an inow controlV for controlling the inow to a conduit or .other container whereby the key may be varied in accordance with the pre-arranged lock of the `inflow control valve and will have in all other respects a standard construction for a plurality of locks.

Another object of my invention is to provide a key for a plurality of locks, each of which 5 may have a diierent combination and in which the key has variable bight members which can be changed as desired to iit any of the locks.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved inflow control valve and key nozzle 10 for a container, more particularly adapted to receive viscous liquids such as lubricating oils, which control will permit the rapid filling of the container and which will be positively sealed when the key nozzle is removed. 15

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved inflow control for a conduit or other container which is more particularly adapted to receive less viscous liquids such as gasoline, water, etc., and which is normally adapted to receive large quantities of fluid.

A further object of the invention is to reduce the overall diameter of inflow control heads with respect to the available internal fluid conduit bore by positioning the lock tumblers in Aan axis parallel to the axis of flow and thereby reducing their overall interference with flow.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following description thereof taken in connection with the attached drawings which illustrate certain preferred forms of embodiment, and in which:

`Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section,

showing the retail dispensing unit;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Figure 1 showing the drum iniiow control;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the Vline 3--3 of 4Figure 2 showing the inner details of the drum inflow control;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section similar to that of Figure 3 with the inflow control valve open;

Figure 5 is an elevation of a conduit inow control with parts in section;

Figure 6 is a Vertical section of the inflow control of Figure 5, taken at to Figure 5;

Figures 7, 8 and 9 are horizontal sections taken respectively on the lines '1 -1, 8 8 and 9-9 on Figures 5 and 6;

Figure l0 is a side elevation of a modified form of conduit inflow control and key nozzle, with parts in section;

`Figure 11 'is a perspective view of a key;

Figure l2 is a side elevation of the key in place, and,

Figure 13 is a partial bottom plan view showing the code relation of the keys.

The retail dispensing unit shown in Figure 1 comprises a container such as a drum IE) fitted with a suitable inflow control valve I2 having a suitable dust proof cap II through which fluids are introduced into the container. The inilow controlling device I2 is sealed into the drum in any desired manner such as by the projecting lug I3 which engages under the top of the container and in lug I5a cooperates with the spring member i5. The liquids may be suitably removed through a pump I4 which discharges through a discharge control I6 into a receptacle such as a unit measure I8 having the receptacle top 2li and inow control nozzle integral therewith. A measuring stick I9 can be used to determine the volume of remaining fluid.

One form of combination inflow controlling and iluid discharge means I6 and 2li is generally described in my prior Patent No. 1,682,544,

vissued. August 28, 1928, and by such construction the purchaser of the unit quantity carried in the measure I8 can be assured of obtaining liquids dispensed from the drum I 9, the lling of which may also be controlled by the producing company.

As a further step in the protection of the system, the liquids placed Within the container I9 are also under control and the drum is sealed against lli'ng except through the inow control valve I2 having a cooperating key nozzle 2S which is in turn carried by an authorized lling operator. The key nozzle may preferably have, in one form, as shown for example in Figure 2, a projecting key member 29 which cooperates with the tumblers 28 normally projecting :from a relatively rotatable valve part 2l. The relatively rotatable valve part Z'I cooperates with the semi-cylindrical housing 25 of the inflow control valve I2 to normally seal the opening in the top of the drum I0. As shown in Figure 3,

the bottom of the relatively rotatable part 2l covers the other half of the bottom formed by semi-circular extension 25a. of the inow control housing 25 so that under normal conditions it is substantially impossible to` introduce fluids into the drum. The key nozzle 29 may preferably be of short length and funnel shaped at the open end so that it may be used to assist pouring of liquids to ll the drum I0.

The tumblers 28 project from the xed housing 25 into the rotatable part of the housing 21, and as is commonly known with tumbler locks, the parting lines 24 are at irregular intervals so that the rotatable part of the housing cannot be rotated. If, however, the correct key 29 is placed into alignment with the projecting tumblers 28, the parting lines 24 will be in proper position so that the rotatable part of the housing 21 may be relatively rotated about the bottom; pivot 2l. Under such conditions: the bottom is then half opened as shown in Figure 4 inasmuch as the key nozzle 26 can be manipulated to rotate the rotatable half of the housing ZI relatively to the xed part of the housing 25, thus opening the bottom. The angular projection 23 on the key nozzle 26 cooperates with the projection portion surrounding the tumblers on the rotatable part of the housing 2l to accomplish this result.

The key nozzle 2B is preferably arranged so that Vit cannot be'removed from the rotatable part of the housing 2l while the inflow control is in the open position. One method of insuring this result is to construclt the key 29 aoc/goe? so that the lower most bight portions will not pass the projections of the other tumblers when held in the extended position. It will therefore be necessary to return the key nozzle 26 to its closed position before it may be removed. Other arrangements for this purpose will be Aevident.

As the rotatable and xed parts of the valve casing fit ratherclose, it would normally be impractical to ll a container with a viscous liquid such as oil as the slow rate with which the oil would iiow would invite detection. Furthermore, the key nozzle 26 being of funnel shape, is readily adapted to receive large quantities of a viscous liquid and has ample capacity to ll the drum I in a manner satisfactory inr commercial practice.

Where liquids such as gasoline and similar less viscous liquids arel handled, and such liquids are normally conveyed through a hose or pipe, the modied iniiow construction shown in Figures to 9 may be preferred. The iniiow conduit or neck'oI a container 3D is adapted to receive the inilow control means32 which may be screwed into the pipe or neck and retained in any permanent manner. The inflow control more particularly shown in Figure 5 further includes a key nozzle 34 preferably carried on the end of a conveying hose or pipe 3% and secured thereto by a coupling 38. It is of course to be understood that the conduit 36 might be a xed as well as a flexible pipe as is similarly true of the inflow conduit 39. A suitable coupling 39 will hold the key nozzle 34 in lirm contact in the control head 32.

A valve 49 of any desired type, such as a centrally pivoted and balanced flap valve may effectively be used and is mounted in a central sleeve 42 which is non-rotatably held by the set screw 42a. The valve is held closed by a relatively rotatable sleeve 43 having a cam surface 49.

The valve may economically be made of one piece construction and where pivoted in the center, can be easily and positively closed. The relatively rotatable sleeve 43 is held in a fixed position by longitudinally projecting tumblers 44 which cooperate in turn with the key 45 on the peripheral edge of the key nozzle 34. As the key 45 cooperates with the end of the tumblers 44 forcing them into a new position, a reduced section of the tumblers 44a passes a projecting portion 4l in the xed intermediate sleeve 42 as more particularly shown in Figure 9.

inasmuch as the reduced section 44a of the tumblers 44 will allow therotatable sleeve 43 to pass the tumblers and therefore move relatively to the xed sleeve 42 the cam surface 49 will rotate the butterfly valve 4U. The angle of the cam is preferably such that but one-quarter to one-eighth of a turn is sulicient to cause this opening.

An L-shaped slot 42h may be cut in the inner sleeve 42 to cooperate With a projection 34a. on the nozzle 34 so that in partial rotation of the key nozzle, the slot will hold the nozzle from being removed. It is therefore necessary to close the valve 4I) if the nozzle is to be removed. It is to be understood that the tumblers 44 may be of any number such as four or more or less and that the reduced portions 44a may be varied in position in accordance with the usual tumbler lock combinations. The key likewise will have corresponding shoulders 45 formed either as slots or as additional projections extending from the peripheral surface of the key nozzle 34.

When the tumblers are placed in a longitudinal position or in other words, when. they are parallel to the axis of flow in the conduits, the least space in the line of now is occupied. The key, also being substantially on the peripheral edge of the nozzle. the remaining part of the conduit is free to the passage of fluids. Therefore, the present construction greatly reduces the necessary overall size of inflow control head corresponding to a fixed size of bore and gives full free flow.

The valve will effectively prevent flow of liquids into the filling pipe 30 except when the particular key nozzle 34 is projected into vthe valve control head 32, and the buttery valve opened, and yet it may be opened quickly and easily.

A modified form of construction in which the key of the nozzle can be changed is shown in Figures 10 to 13 inclusive. The infiow control element 50 is adapted to be mounted in a suitable conduit on a container as desired and is provided with a similar pivoted or other valve 52 which is controlled by the relative rotation of the inner sleeve 55 with respect to the iniiow control head 5G. As previously disclosed., a series of tumblers 56 are preferably mounted within the control head 50 and cooperate with the rotatable sleeve in such manner that when properly depressed a relative rotation may be had between the rotatable sleeve 54 and the inflow control head 5B. The key nozzle 51 is adapted to be attached to a hose of any desired form and has a collar 58 which will bring the key elements 59 into co-action with the tumblers 56.

The key elements 59 are more clearly shown in Figure l1 and are provided with multiple surfaces Sii, 6l, 62 and 63, which are of different height and one of which will cooperate with the adjacent tumbler when in position. A shank 64 cooperates with a suitable aperture in the guidev 65 which is a part of the key nozzle 51 to hold the tumbler in the proper position and a spring B6 cooperates with each key 59 to hold it in the position in which it is set.

Each of the key elements 59 can be partially vdisplaced and rotated to a suiiicient extent to bring a different height surface into contact with the tumbler with which it cooperates. The different heights will therefore change the distance to which the tumblers 5B are displaced when the key nozzle 51 is in proper position and Vwill therefore cooperate with a changed combination of tumblers. As each key may have two or more lands or height surfaces and as each key can be changed for the different height without structural changes it is therefore possible to adapt one key nozzle 51 to a very great range of flow control heads having the cooperatingl lock relation.

To facilitate setting of the key each key element is provided with a number corresponding to a different height and as more particularly shown in Figure 13 the keys are set in a certain relation which in the direction laid out reads the code 3-2-1-4- If any of these keys are changed it will immediately prevent the operation of the key nozzle in the head in which the tumblers are set for the corresponding code number 3-2-1-4.

In practice each inflow control head will have a particular code number, or, for example, all of the control heads on a single route may have the same number. Therefore, if the number is known, the operator can adjust his key nozzle to cooperate with the control heads on his route and if the driver should desire to open the control heads on a different route he would merely have to change the relation of the key in the nozzle in accordance with the code number of the inflow control head of that particular installation. The inadvertent possession of the key nozzle would be of little avail to anyone else, however, as such person would not know the code number of the infiow control heads in any particular location and would therefore be unable to set the keys in the proper combination arrangement.

Such a construction is of particular value where drivers for relief purposes may operate over a great number of different routes or be required to open the control heads having a number of different combinations. It is also available for other purposes Wherever a series of -locks have a specific tumbler relation which may `be reduced to a code and where the key may be .temporarily changed to cooperate with each lock as desired.

It is equally as possible to use such a construction with the removable key nozzle as shown in Figure 2 in which it is merely necessary to change the particular key for the adjustable type of key as shown in Figure 10. It is also to be noted that while the vertical or longitudinal type of plunger more particularly shown in Figures 5 to 13 is preferred it is possible to substitute in the pivoted flap valve construction the transverse type of plunger as shown in Figure 2, and of course, although the small inflow control head indicated on the drawings is of relatively less diameter than the inflow control head shown in Figure 2, this is merely a matter of degree and either type of head might be made of any diameter found desirable. The constructions shown are preferably of small diameter such as three inches for the nonviscous control head and approximately seven inches for the viscous control head, as these are adapted to cooperate with the common type of hose and other present day commercial equipment. This, however, is not a limitive feature and should not be so construed.

While I have shown preferred forms of embodiment of my device, I am aware that other modifications may be made and I therefore desire a broad interpretation of my invention, within the scope and spirit of the description herein and ofthe claims appended hereinafter.

I claim:

1. In combination with a receptacle, a fluid receiving conduit adapted to receive viscous liquids from a funnel shaped fluid discharge conduit `having a key nozzle thereon, an infiow control head on said fluid receiving conduit, said control head including a fixed semi-cylindrical shell portion, a movable valve in said control head, said valve being complementary to said fixed shell portion, a plurality of locking tumblers projecting through the valve and xed shell portion and holding said valve locked, said key nozzle being adapted to cooperate with said tumblers to release the locked valve.

2. A filling control for viscous liquids comprising an infiow control element, a semi-cylindrical shell with 'a partially closed end in Vsaid element, a relatively movable member having a complementary semi-cylindrical shell with a partially closed end substantialy sealing said opening, tumblers normally preventing the relative movement of the relatively movable member but adapted to be actuated to release said member,

CID

`and means to lock said filling control to the re- -ceiving opening of a receptacle.

3. lA filling control for viscous liquids comprising an inflow control element, a semi-cylindrical bottom in said element, a relatively movable member having a complementary semi-cylindrical bottom substantially sealing said opening, tumblers normally preventing the relative movement of the relatively movable member, said tumblers projecting into a position whereby they may be moved by the insertion of a funnel shaped key into a releasing position and whereby said relatively movable member may be rotated to open part of said inflow control element lfor inflow of fluid, and means to prevent the removal of said key while said relatively movable member is in the open position.

4. An inow control and fluid discharge means for fluid receivers which comprises an inflow control head sealing the iluid receiver against inflow of fluid, a rotatable valve member in said control head pivoted for rotation with respect 5. An inflow control and lluid discharge means for fluid receivers which comprises an inilow control head, means to secure said control head 'in a iluid tight manner to a fluid receptacle, a rotatable valve member in said control head, said control head having a semi-cylindrical fixed portion, said rotatable valve member having a cooperating complementary shape and adapted to telescope with respect to said fixed portion to open said valve to flow and means to lock said rotatable valve member in closed position to seal the fluid receptacle against inilow of liquid, said locking means including a plurality of locking tumblers projecting across the path of movement of portions of the fixed portion of the control head and a portion of the rotatable valve member, said tumblers projecting intol a position whereby the insertion of a cooperating fluid discharge means will engage said tumblers e and move them to inoperable position, so that the 'fluid discharge means can be used to rotate the valve member into a fluid inow relation.

6. In combination with a receptacle,fa fluid receiving conduit adapted to receive viscous liquids from a iluid discharge conduit having a key nozzle thereon, an inflow control head on said fluid receiving conduit, said inflow control head including a lxed cylindrically shaped shell portion having a member flxedly secured thereto and bridging said conduit, a movable valve in said control head and connected with said member, a movable cylindrically shaped shell portion, means whereby the movement of the last mentioned shell portion opens and closes said valve to establish and shut off communication through the conduit with the interior of the receptacle, and locking means normally connecting said movable shell portion with said xed shell portion to maintain the valve in its conduit closving position but `movable by said key nozzle to ,free said -movable shell portion for movement to open said valve.

f 7. In combination with a receptacle, a uid receiving conduit adapted to receive liquids from a` fluid discharge conduit having a key nozzle thereon, and an inflow control head on said fluid receiving conduit, said control head comprising a valve pivoted within said conduit, a rotatable sleeve having means to hold said valve in closed position across the conduit and means tomove the same positively to an open position allowing communication with the receptacle when the sleeve is rotated, and releasable means normally locking said sleeve in valve closing position but movable by said key nozzle to allow rotation of the sleeve.

8, In combination with a receptacle, a fluid receiving conduit adapted to receive liquids from a fluid discharge conduit having a key nozzle thereon, and an inflow control head on said fluid receiving conduit, said control head comprising a valve pivoted within said conduit, a rotatable sleeve having means to hold said valve in closed position across the conduit and. means tomove the same positively to an open position allowing communication with the receptacle when the sleeve is rotated and tumblers extending longitudinally of said conduit and normally .locking said sleeve in valve closing position but 'said key nozzle whereby the valve may be unlocked.

10. In combination with a receptacle, a iluid receiving conduit adapted to receive viscous liquids from a fluid discharge conduit having a key nozzle thereon, said fluid receiving conduit comprising an inilow control head, a normally closed valve therein, an internally rotatable sleeve preventing the opening of said valve, longitudinally arranged tumbler means preventing the relative movement of said sleeve and means on said tumbler adapted to cooperate with Vsaid key nozzle to release the relatively movable sleeve whereby said valve may be opened.

l1. In combination with a receptacle, a fluid receiving conduit adapted to receive viscous liquids from a fluid discharge conduit having a key nozzle thereon, an inilow control head on said fluid receiving conduit, a centrally pivoted balanced valve in said control head and means normally to hold said valve in locked position including a plurality of locking tumblers longitudinally arranged adjacent the edge of said conduit, said key nozzle adapted to cooperate with said tumbler means to release the locked valve.

MARVIN S. YOUNG. 

